Lady in Red
by dreding
Summary: Severus Snape will never forget his Lady in Red.


Lady In Red

Song by Chris Deburgh. Characters by JKR.

"Please Severus. It only comes once a year." Hermione pleaded. "Just come for one dance."

"How many times must I say NO!" They had this conversation before. He would not go. It had been two years since the final battle and people still didn't believe he was on the side of the light. Even after protecting Potter long enough so he could kill the Dark Lord. "I will not give those people the benefit of talking about me behind my back."

"Severus!"

"No, I WILL NOT GO! And as my wife I don't believe you should either."

"I, I…"

"I mean it, I don't want you to go"

"Don't say that. I have to go. You know that."

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned to enter their bedroom. The door slammed. Snape stalked over to the cabinet to pour himself a fire whiskey. After downing it, he filled the glass again and sat before the fire just staring into the flames.

He never heard her enter the room until she was at the front door. "Severus, I'm leaving now. If you change your mind you know where to find me." And with that, she was gone. He never looked up as she left. He never saw the tear rolling down her cheek.

Snape didn't know how long he just sat there looking into the flames. He watched as the last couple of years' events played out in front of his eyes… the final battle, Hermione finding Albus's memories to clear his name, her fighting her friends when they discovered that she had decided to marry him, the times he had held her while she cried over her friends' lack of understanding of what he meant to her.

He had enough. It was time to claim his wife.

Severus arrived at the Ministry for the second annual War Memorial Gala. The room was full of people looking to regain some happiness after years of death and destruction. Snape stayed in the shadows where no one would see him.

_I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight_

_I've never seen you shine so bright_

_I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance_

_Looking for a little romance_

_Given half a chance_

It didn't take long to find his wife surrounded by her friends. He had never seen her look so lovely dressed in a Gryffindor red gown. He watched as man after man would come up and ask her to dance, but she never left the security of her group of friends.

_I have never seen that dress you're wearing_

_Or the highlights in your hair that catch your eyes_

_I have been blind_

"Come on 'Mione. Just one dance. You know that you want to." Ron said as he tried to coax her onto the floor.

"Ron please. I don't feel like dancing at the moment." The sadness in her voice and her eyes were more than Severus could stand.

Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, Snape walked a straight line towards his wife. The people around him parted and watched him make his way through the crowd. Once he was behind her, he taped her shoulder and bowed, "My lady, may I have this dance?"

Her whole body tensed. She turned to see her husband offering his hand.

He swept her to the dance floor. The whole room stopped and watched as the Death Eater turned hero swirled his one true love to the soft beat of the music.

_The Lady in red_

_Is dancing with me_

_Cheek to cheek_

_There's nobody here_

_It's just you and me_

_It's where I want to be_

_And I hardly know there's beauty by my side_

It seemed that everyone around them disappeared. It was as if they were the only people on the earth.

_I'll never forget the way you look tonight_

_I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight_

_I've never seen you shine so bright_

_You were amazing_

"Hermione, I'm sor.."

"Don't, please don't say a word," she interrupted him by putting a finger over his mouth to stop his apology. "Just hold me."

_I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side_

_And when you turned to me and smiled, _

_It took my breath away_

_I have never had such a feeling_

_Such a feeling of complete and utter love as I do tonight_

The song ended but the dancing couple never noticed. They just held one another and kept dancing to their own music.

Severus Snape held his wife in his arms and whispered in her ear.

_I'll never forget the way you look tonight_

_My lady in red_

_I love you_


End file.
